Tag Archives: ford

We’re Ford Mustang fans here at Acceleramota. I’ve long been a die-hard fanboy, and our founder and CEO claims to have converted after witnessing them in the flesh in Detroit. So of course we’re excited to see more of the inner workings behind one of the most intriguing and exciting tuner ponies, the RTR Mustang, which had recently completed suspension testing and validation. And thanks to their press release shared with reputable forum, Mustang7G, we have the scoop on everything that goes into making a fast Ford go faster.

Following months of exciting launch events, photos, and a dealership tour, the RTR Ford Mustang officially completed suspension testing at the North Carolina Center for Automotive Research or NCCAR. At the helm and relaying feedback to the development team was IMSA driver, Billy Johnson. The young driver recently championed the Ford GT GTE cars during their stint and previously helped develop the Ford GT supercar, the Shelby GT350 and GT500 sports cars, and the Mustang GT4 and FP350S race cars.

Under Johnson’s guidance, the RTR team could fine-tune every aspect of the dynamics, both on track and over 20,000 claimed street miles, to pursue confidence-inspiring neutrality with plenty of room for adjustability. To achieve this goal, it meant fiddling with the adjustable dampers, sway bars, and different tire packages.

Different sizes for the Nitto NT555 G2 tire packages and adjustable suspension will allow customers to skew grip levels to their liking and induce traits such as under or oversteer. RTR intends to offer a squared set of 275-wide tires and a staggered set of 305-wide front and 315-wide rear tires, mimicking packages found on the Dark Horse and previous Mustang Mach 1 and Shelby GT350.

According to their test results, the RTR Mustang lapped NCCAR two seconds quicker than a stock Mustang GT Performance Package. Even cooler, a stickier tire setup on top of their suspension package shaved another 1.2 seconds, widening the gap between a modified and unmodified Mustang GT to a lifetime in motorsports. Mind you, this is merely their “mid-tier” Spec 2 model, which still leaves room for a supercharged Spec 3 and (fingers crossed) a widebody Spec 5.

In a separate walk-around video, two-time Formula D champion and RTR founder, Vaughn Gittin Jr., expresses transparency regarding the current RTR’s base setup. It reportedly won’t strive to be the winner at any given driving discipline, but it will ship with a neutral chassis setup that’s still potent on track out of the box but easy to tune for customers wanting more.

Founded in 2011, RTR Vehicles – Ready To Rock – has been acclaimed for what are perceived as the most youthful Ford Mustangs, forgoing the alleged “Boomer” status of legacy tuners like Roush or Shelby American, for slightly less money. And while its eccentric identity may deter some would-be buyers, there’s no denying the individuality and tunability rarely seen from rival tuners or factory cars. Or at least not for the same money. 

So yeah. We’re Mustang fans here at Acceleramota. And the RTR Mustang might just tickle our fancy a little bit more.

Earlier this week, Ford invited Acceleramota down to Brooklyn for an early look at a blacked-out special edition of the Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum trim. Naturally, it’s called the 2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum Black, and it offers little more over the regular Platinum model than a few edgier styling choices, including a matte black wrap, standard 22-inch black wheels, black badges, 10 black Bang & Olufsen speakers – you get the idea.

When deliveries start in early 2024, the Lightning Platinum Black will be first production truck with a matte black wrap in Ford’s history. Special edition ‘Blacked-out’ trims of existing models are nothing new for car companies, or even trucks for that matter. Stellantis sells a ‘Night Edition’ Ram 1500, GM has ‘Midnight’ versions of both the Chevy Silverado and the GMC Sierra Denali, and there’s even a ‘Midnight Edition’ Nissan Frontier.

2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum vs Lightning Platinum Black

Feature	2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum (w/ no additional options)	2024 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum Black
Exterior paint	Oxford White	Matte Black
Wheels	20-inch polished aluminum	22-inch polished aluminum
Badging	Platinum	Platinum Black
Interior	Light Slate Gray leather	Black Onyx leather
Other features	Panoramic sunroof, Bang & Olufsen 8-speaker audio system, 360-degree camera system, Panoramic sunroof, Bang & Olufsen audio system, 360-degree camera system	Exclusive Platinum Black interior accents, Bang & Olufsen 10-speaker audio system w/ subwoofer

Ford F-150 Lightning: see inventory near you

The overlap between well-to-do pickup truck drivers and goths, I imagine, is pretty small. Still, Ford believes enough exist to make 2,000 of ’em at $99,990 apiece – nearly six grand more than the Lightning Platinum without the brooding blackout accouterments. Not counting the base “Pro” model, which is “currently unavailable” on the Ford website and has been since before I launched Acceleramota. The average MSRP of an F-150 Lightning across trim levels is $79, 243 – nearly $30K more than that of the mid-size Ford Ranger pickup; the Lightning is $12,000 more than the gas-powered F-150 as well.

As our own Nathan Meyer reported in his must-read coverage of the 2024 Cadillac Lyriq, the average price of a new electric vehicle (roughly $67K) is much closer to that of a luxury car ($74K) than new vehicles overall ($48K). For The American Prospect last month, columnist Harold Meyerson argued, that the reason Ford’s bleeding money on EVs is not because Americans aren’t interested, but because car companies have strategically positioned EVs as a “premium” option.

“The big problem for EVs from a price standpoint is that the whole industry has decided that the only way to cater to American tastes is to make their EV fleet out of trucks and SUVs, eliminating the economical sedans that might be affordable.”

Harold Meyerson, The American Prospect

Unlike the Lightning, the base model internal combustion engine (ICE) F-150 XL starts at $33,835. Not only will Ford dot com tell you where you can get one, but you can order your truck piecemeal, allowing you to choose your creature comforts – and forego the features you don’t need. In the case of the F-150, up until 2023, the base model was about as barebones as you could get: seat adjustments, locks, and even windows all lacked electronic power inputs. (Yes, manual windows were only discontinued this year!) While it does have an infotainment system, the display was less prominent than that of higher trims.

Sure, I imagine most Americans want a vehicle with power windows and locks. But, believe me when I say that some don’t. My grandfather, for example, literally lives on his farm. Where he lives, in the rural sprawl of the Eastern Shore, Maryland, you have to drive about half a mile down the street to make a phone call. Ostensibly, he is the target audience for a new pickup. Even the Lightning, which Ford describes as a “true, purpose-built work truck.”

Yet, rather than shell out for inessential frills, my grandfather owns a current-generation base model F-150 with rear-wheel drive (RWD), and I think that’s great! In fact, most workers you see on farms today are still rocking old Chevy C/Ks, F-150s, and Toyota Pickups from the 90s and early 2000s, back when they were small! While Ford’s marketing will have you convinced the F-150 Lightning is built for the American working class, the real starting price tells a different story, and the new, even more prohibitively expensive Platinum Black raises the ceiling without lowering the floor. Putting aside for a moment Ford is a corporation that values high margins over affordability, this fun little side project is a waste of resources when lower-cost trims are still hard to find. Not to mention it makes Forcd seem out of touch with its intended base.

Naturally, the choice to luxury-wash EVs only intensifies the air of skepticism felt by half the U.S. population. Of course, as emission regulations tighten and states like California – if it were a country, the fifth largest economy in the world – pledge to ban gas-powered cars by 2035, affordable EVs aren’t a matter of if but when. In the meantime, color-swapping an EV version of America’s favorite truck that costs damn-near-$100K isn’t the flex Ford thinks it is. If anything, publicity stunts like the Platinum Black (let’s be honest, that’s what this is) further sour the blue-collar ethos it claims to uphold.

Ford isn’t the only, or even the worst, offender when it comes to the “luxification” of EVs. As with many trends in this segment, Tesla started it with the Model S and everyone else followed suit. But, knowing I could buy a slightly used Ferrari California for around the same price as the F-150 Lightning Platinum Black, I have two words of advice for the Ford executive looking down at this blog from their ivory tower: crank windows.

Earlier this month, we were somehow entrusted with media credentials for Electrify Expo at Nassau Coliseum in Long Island, just East of New York City (not too far from where we hold NYCars & Coffee each week). This little EV-focused festival was less New York International Auto Show and more CES, minus all the boring stuff from CES that doesn’t sit on four wheels. Unlike a traditional media expo full of idle concept cars designed to drum up headlines, Electrify Expo gave us the chance to drive cars that are already out, but without the anxiety-inducing pressures that come with test-driving at a dealer.

Although we didn’t have time to take every car on display out for a spin, we at least had the opportunity to get up close and personal with a few notable models from top carmakers like Lexus, Ford, Volvo, and Tesla. Without getting too in the weeds, I do have Some Opinions on the cars we saw. No, that doesn’t include the Ford Lightning. I did drive it, but I’ll save those thoughts for another day. Maybe when I’ve moved on mentally from the Fisker Alaska.

1. Mustang Mach-E GT

I unabashedly love the GT version of the Mach-E. The base Mach-E is whatever, but Electrify Expo flawlessly demonstrated why the Mach-E GT deserves a second look. For one, they hired a professional drifter to burn those tires bald, and that was a feat to behold. My car can do 0-60 in about 3.5 seconds, but 3.8 hits different when you’ve got instant torque. That it can handle like this while looking like that is a testament to the potential for fun driving in EVs and crossover SUVs alike when a carmaker cares about delivering an engaging experience for the driver rather than another cookie-cutter commuter car.

Whenever Ford is inevitably forced to turn off the lights on the Dark Horse, the Mach-E GT has established a solid enough baseline for what we can expect from the next generation of Mustang sports coupes.

Mustang Mach-E GT: see local prices near you

2. Lexus RZ

The Lexus RZ has stirred up controversy recently, not only for its steer-by-wire system but Toyota’s also taken a page out of Tesla’s book and decided normal people need F1-style steering yokes. While I sadly didn’t get the chance to drive the yoke-equipped model, I did drive an RZ with a regular steering wheel and it was just as unremarkable as I anticipated given its shared DNA with the underwhelming Toyota bZ4X. Just get a Prius, and if that’s not lavish enough, meet the Toyota Crown.

Lexus RZ: see local prices near you

3. BMW i5

I said it in the newsletter, and it’s even truer now that I’ve seen it showcased next to the repulsive BMW iX: the new 5 Series looks fire, and the BMW i5 M60 is the best of the bunch. I’ve gone on record saying the BMW i4 M50 is the best EV I’ve driven, and that still holds true today.

At least as far as design goes, the electric 5 Series M takes all the positive qualities of the i4 M50 – 500+ horsepower with a sub-4 second 0-60 speed on a rear-biased AWD platform – and pairs them with a front end I hate a little less. It also helps that on its other side was the BMW i7, which I lamented as my worst driving experience in recent memory.

BMW i5: see local prices near you

4. Volvo EX30

Mark my words: No matter how this little crossover SUV turns out, the Volvo EX30 will print money. I came this close (imagine my thumb and pointer finger very close together) to reserving one before my wife told me not to because she wanted the Alfa Romeo Tonale.

She made the right call, however, since 1) We needed a car and the EX30 doesn’t come out until next summer and 2) I don’t fully trust Geely with a Chinese-made Volvo. Not necessarily because it’s made in China – hell, the MacBook Pro I’m typing on was, too – but because most other Volvo models are still manufactured in Sweden. This was clearly a move to cut costs. Whether that means cutting corners remains to be seen.

Volvo EX30: see our full preview

5. Ford Eluminator concept truck

Did you know you can buy a Mach-E motor from Ford’s website and swap it into any vehicle it fits? I didn’t either until I saw the Ford Eluminator concept truck, which is less of a truck and more of an overarching concept. For a little over four grand, Ford is saying you can put an electric motor with 480-horsepower and 634 pound-feet of torque in a 1978 F-Series pickup, sure. But you can also do your best RDJ impression and get a little more creative. For instance, if you’re mad about the Mach-E because it’s an SUV and not a proper Mustang, why not build your own electric muscle car? Show Ford how it’s done.

Browse local new and used inventory at CarGurus

Honorable mention: Tesla Model X

“It’s not a recession,” they say. Stop blowing your paychecks on avocado toast and someday you, too, can afford to live in a Tesla Model X.

Tesla Model X: see local inventory near you

The Ford F-150 Lightning, known colloquially as the Ford Lightning, takes a traditional approach to electrification in that it’s not trying to be an interstellar spaceship on wheels. This truck looks and performs like a truck. I’ll be damned. The F-150 Lightning offers strong towing and payload numbers, a spacious and upscale interior, and a long electric range.

Though it has been on sale for a couple of model years, Ford still struggles to keep pace with demand, and the wait for a new truck extends to a year for some configurations. Still, if you do find a Lightning for sale, the pickup offers actual truck capability without the need for gas, and that’s a compelling proposition for many buyers. 

Ford Lightning price and specs

2023 Ford F-150 Lightning: check local availability at CarGurus

Ford has raised prices on the Lightning a few times since its inception, moving it from the sub-$40,000 starting price to almost $60,000 at the bottom end.

2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Pro

• Price: $59,974
• Range: 240 miles (standard), 320 miles (extended)
• Horsepower: 462 hp (standard), 580 hp (extended)
• Torque: 775 lb-ft
• Curb weight: 6,015 lbs (standard), 6,361 lbs (extended)
• 0-60 time: 4.1 seconds (standard), 3.8s (extended)

2023 Ford F-150 Lightning XLT

• Price: $63,474
• Range: 240 miles (standard), 320 miles (extended)
• Horsepower: 462 hp (standard), 580 hp (extended)
• Torque: 775 lb-ft
• Curb weight: 6,015 lbs (standard), 6,361 lbs (extended)
• 0-60 time: 4.1 seconds (standard), 3.8s (extended)

2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat

• Price: $75,974
• Range: 240 miles (standard), 320 miles (extended)
• Horsepower: 462 hp (standard), 580 hp (extended)
• Torque: 775 lb-ft
• Curb weight: 6,015 lbs (standard), 6,361 lbs (extended)
• 0-60 time: 4.1 seconds (standard), 3.8s (extended)

2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Platinum

• Price: $98,074
• Range: 320 miles
• Horsepower: 580 hp
• Torque: 775 lb-ft
• Curb weight: 6,893 lbs
• 0-60 time: 4 seconds

Ford options most Lightning trims with either a standard- or the pricier extended-range battery. Not only does the extended-range battery give you an extra 80 miles of juice, but it also adds nearly 120 horses, bringing the Lightning’s official 0-60 time from 4.1 seconds to under 4.

Naturally, the Platinum comes standard with the extended-range battery. The tradeoff is more than 800 lbs of added weight. And sure, that can add a fraction of a second to your 0-60 time, but who’s complaining about a 4-second pickup truck? Remember the Ram SRT-10? That thing had a Viper engine and just barely managed under 5. Besides, trucks are all about how much you can haul before you stall, which the Ford Lightning has in spades. With 775 lb-ft of torque gracing the lineup, it’s rated for a towing capacity up to 10,000 pounds – although, if we’re being real, you probably shouldn’t go over 2,000.

Buyers can add towing packages, upgraded wheels, power side steps, and a myriad of interior upgrades. That said, the F-150 Lightning is expensive and has only gotten pricier as time has gone on. Part of that is due to inflation, but it’s the opposite of the actions Ford took with its other mass-market EV, the Mustang Mach-E.

The F-150 Lightning currently competes against the Rivian R1T seemingly for the titles of Most Expensive and Hardest to Find. In the near future, the Ram 1500 Revolution, Chevrolet 1500 EV, and GMC Sierra EV will land, giving the Lightning a whole host of electric rivals. The Ram is more traditionally styled like the Ford, but the two GM EVs are futuristic in appearance. Pricing for all is expected to be close to the Ford’s MSRP, so we’re in for an expensive electric future in which we’ve subbed burning gas for burning cash.

Ford F-150 Lightning interior and tech

Just like its gas-powered brethren, Ford offers several upgrades and customization options for the F-150 Lightning. While the top Platinum trim brings all the goodies, including leather upholstery and a panoramic sunroof, lower trims can be outfitted with much of the high-end kit through packages and standalone options.

As with most modern vehicles, but especially the electric ones, the 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning follows the polarizing trend that is replacing physical HVAC controls with an oversized tablet. The 15.5-inch touchscreen display in the F-150 Lightning’s center console runs the automaker’s own Sync 4A software for all your truck specific needs. Thankfully, for everything else, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (not to be confused with Android Automotive) still remain.

Unlike GM, whose electric Silverado and Hummer trucks have taken to Android Automotive, Ford is sticking to the proprietary stuff, for better or worse. On one hand, because Sync 4A is built by Ford for Ford drivers, its interface is tailor-made to fit the F-150 Lightning. In the main control panel, for instance, the first selection you’ll see highlighted is the onboard scales feature – as long as you have the tow technology package. This lets you check the weight of your payload to make sure you didn’t overdo it on the supplies for your latest home improvement project.

Like the onboard scales utility, some of the more exciting tech is exclusive to certain packages or options. The 360-degree exterior zone lighting, ambient interior lighting, leather seats, and moonroof are all add-ons, as are the upgraded B&O speakers. Even the trailer brake controller is locked to the tow technology package. But no matter how it’s configured, the Ford Lightning comes standard with a host of different drive modes, tons of hidden storage as well as a frunk, built-in navigation, and a stow-away shifter that converts your center console into an in-car workstation.

Ford electrified trucks: F-150 Lightning vs F-150 PowerBoost hybrid

The Ford F-150 Lightning offers similar configurations and options to the standard F-150, including the PowerBoost hybrid truck. They both provide in-bed generators and traditional truck capabilities, but the similarities do not extend to their powertrains. The hybrid powertrain delivers 430 horsepower and 570 pound-feet of torque, giving it stout towing and hauling capabilities – but it still uses gas. 

The Lightning offers up to 320 miles of range on a charge and can use DC fast charging to charge from 15 to 80 percent in around 40 minutes for the extended-range battery. The challenge with an electric truck is that doing any “truck stuff” reduces the range. Towing and hauling put more strain on the electric drivetrain and can zap range. Additionally, cold weather can drain the batteries faster, as using the heat and other accessories takes more power. 

Pricing is another significant difference between the two trucks. The Lightning easily crests the $100,000 mark in its top configuration with options, while adding the hybrid powertrain to the standard F-150 drives the price upward by about $3,300. Of course, the hybrid requires gas purchases, and despite its improved fuel economy, it can be more expensive to operate. Charging costs money, but it can be cheaper than refueling. Some configurations of the Lightning are eligible for federal tax credits of up to $7,500, but some are too expensive to quality. 

2023 Ford F-150 Lightning: check local availability at CarGurus

Ford Motor Company news

Ford is deep into its electrification strategy and has made progress on its Blue Oval City EV and battery production facility in Tennessee. In addition to the F-150 Lightning, the automaker sells the Mustang Mach-E and E-Transit EVs in the United States. Ford has partnered with Volkswagen and others to produce and sell unique EVs in other countries, but there’s no indication that those models will make it to North America.

Ford has struggled with quality in recent years and has faced multiple recalls from all corners of its vehicle catalog. Consumers tend to rate EVs poorly for quality and satisfaction, so it’s not just a Ford problem, but the company has spent a ton of time and money fixing quality issues that could have been resolved on the factory floor. CEO Jim Farley has acknowledged the problem and promised a plan to fix the quality issues, but Ford has work to do.